Hostages And Hospitality

It shows Amb. John Limbert, at the time a hostage in the US Embassy,
speaking with Ali Khamenei, then Iran’s president (and currently the
Supreme Leader). [...] For non-Farsi speakers, the exchange between Limbert and Khamenei here is incredibly interesting. To paraphrase: Limbert
politely welcomed Khamenei, who was being treated as a guest since he
was visiting the hostages at their “residence” where they were being
held. Limbert remarked about the Iranian cultural quirk known as
“taarof,” which characterizes the uniquely Iranian version of
hospitality, saying: Iranians are too hospitable to guests in
their country, when we insist that we must be going, you all tell us
“no, no, you must stay.”

When Limbert pressed the matter further, Khamenei revealed that
the real issue was the United States’ willingness to allow the deposed
Shah to enter into the country for medical treatment. When the US
returns the Shah to Iran so the revolutionary government can prosecute
him, Khamenei explained, then the hostages will be allowed to leave.

For those old enough to remember the hostage crisis as it happened,
this will surely evoke strong memories from that period thirty years
ago. But for the rest of us, this is an amazingly personal glimpse
into the ordeal that held the world’s attention for so long, and for
which all of us are still dealing with the repercussions.

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